Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Concluding observations on the initial report of Algeria *

I.Introduction

1.The Committee considered the initial report of Algeria (CRPD/C/DZA/1) at its 401st and 402nd meetings (see CRPD/C/SR.401 and 402), held on 29 and 30 August 2018. It adopted the present concluding observations at its 421st meeting, held on 13 September 2018.

2.The Committee welcomes the initial report of Algeria, which was prepared in accordance with the Committee’s reporting guidelines, and thanks the State party for its written replies (CRPD/C/DZA/Q/1/Add.1) to the list of issues prepared by the Committee (CRPD/C/DZA/Q/1).

II.Positive aspects

3.The Committee welcomes the adoption of Prime Ministerial Instruction No. 368 of 21 December 2013 on the mainstreaming of disability into sectoral programmes, pursuant to article 33 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and of National Standard No. 16227 governing the technical approval of infrastructure for persons with disabilities, and the signing of the agreement signed on 22 April 2018 to establish mechanisms for monitoring and inspecting work relating to the accessibility of buildings and facilities open to the public. The Committee also notes with appreciation the publication in 2017 of the first dictionary of Algerian sign language as a step towards the official recognition of Algerian sign language.

III.Principal areas of concern and recommendations

A.General principles and obligations (arts. 1–4)

4.The Committee notes with concern that the State party has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

5. The Committee recommends that the State party consider initiating the process of ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

6.The Committee is concerned that the State party has not yet harmonized its legislation with the Convention, including Act No. 02-09 of 8 May 2002 and Executive Decree No. 14-204 of 15 July 2014, which are mostly based on the medical model of disability. It is also concerned that the multiple levels of assessment of disability for the purpose of benefits and other services still focus on deficiencies of the person.

7. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Ensure the full incorporation of the Convention into the domestic legal order, repeal or amend any law that contradicts the Convention and discriminates against persons with disabilities, including Act No. 02-09 of 8 May 2002, and harmonize policies and practices with the Convention;

(b) Eliminate the multiple levels of assessment of disability and, in consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities, develop an assessment policy and procedure in accordance with the human rights model of disability enshrined in the Convention.

8.The Committee is concerned that persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, are not consulted and actively involved in all decision-making processes affecting them, including the implementation of the Convention.

9. The Committee recalls its general comment No. 7 (2018) on the participation of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention, and recommends that the State party take measures to effectively and systematically consult and actively involve persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in all matters that affect them. It also recommends that the State party take measures to enable the interaction of organizations of persons with disabilities with the State party in a safe and collaborative manner.

B.Specific rights (arts. 5–30)

Equality and non-discrimination (art. 5)

10.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)National legislation, including the Constitution, which does not explicitly recognize the principles of equality and non-discrimination of persons with disabilities;

(b)The fact that the law does not explicitly identify the denial of reasonable accommodation as discrimination on the grounds of disability, and that reasonable accommodation is not well understood or widely applied by employers and service providers, resulting in persons with disabilities being unable to enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others;

(c)Derogatory terms that stigmatize persons with disabilities in legislation, including the Civil Code and the Family Code;

(d)Discriminatory policies, notably the fact that persons with disabilities must produce a certificate of exoneration from liability before travelling on the national airline.

11. The Committee recalls its general comment No. 6 (2018) on equality and non-discrimination and recommends that the State party:

(a) Align its legislation with the Convention and amend all relevant national legislation to prohibit and sanction discrimination based on disability and recognize the denial of reasonable accommodation as disability-based discrimination;

(b) Repeal all legislation that still contains derogatory terms and stigmatizes persons with disabilities;

(c) Modify any policies that discriminate against persons with disabilities.

12.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)There is no specific legislation protecting against multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination;

(b)There have been no complaints brought in relation to article 295 bis 1 of the Criminal Code dealing with discrimination on the grounds of disability, which may indicate that the victims are not aware of complaints procedures.

13. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Introduce legislation and policy measures to ensure that persons with disabilities effectively enjoy their right to equality and non-discrimination in accordance with general comment No. 6 and its concept of inclusive equality;

(b) Raise awareness among public and private actors, in particular lawyers, the judiciary, law enforcement officers, civil servants, employers, educational and health professionals and persons with disabilities themselves, of the right to equality and non-discrimination, including multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination, and to the provision of reasonable accommodation, and provide the relevant training;

(c) Raise awareness among persons with disabilities, public officials and service providers on available legal remedies and increase efforts to foster environments that enable persons with disabilities to claim their rights.

Women with disabilities (art. 6)

14.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)There are no laws and policies to address the multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities;

(b)Disability has not been mainstreamed into national efforts for gender equality;

(c)Organizations of women and girls with disabilities are neither involved nor consulted regarding the implementation of the Convention.

15. The Committee recommends that the State party take into account article 6 of the Convention and the Committee ’ s general comment No. 3 (2016) on women and girls with disabilities in its implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5:

(a) Step up its efforts to mainstream the rights of women with disabilities into law and practice, including by adopting laws to strengthen legal protection for women and girls with disabilities against multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination;

(b) Mainstream disability into all national efforts on gender equality, including the future national strategy for the promotion and integration of women and its action plans;

(c) Ensure the consultation and involvement of organizations of women and girls with disabilities with regard to the implementation of the Convention.

Children with disabilities (art. 7)

16.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Disability is not mainstreamed into national laws, policies and strategies on childhood;

(b)Children with disabilities reportedly experience high levels of violence and neglect, including in the home, schools and residential alternative care institutions;

(c)There is an insufficient quantity of trained childcare assistants, teachers and other professionals to carry out a policy of inclusive development and empowerment of children with disabilities;

(d)Children with disabilities do not benefit from the support required to enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others, notably their right to access health-care services, social protection and inclusive education;

(e)A large number of children with disabilities, particularly children with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, are still living in residential alternative care institutions.

17. In accordance with the Convention and target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Mainstream disability into national legislation, policies and strategies on childhood;

(b) Adopt legislation and take specific measures to protect children with disabilities from abuse and neglect and to investigate and sanction perpetrators;

(c) Provide continuous and high-quality training for all staff working with children on the rights of children with disabilities;

(d) Increase resources to ensure that children with disabilities receive the support that they require to enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others;

(e) Encourage alternative care in family settings for children with disabilities and, in the meantime, ensure that residential alternative care facilities have adequately trained staff and sufficient financial resources to ensure the realization of the rights of children with disabilities in those facilities.

Awareness-raising (art. 8)

18.The Committee is concerned about stigmatization, prejudice and stereotypes with respect to persons with disabilities among the public and in the media. It is also concerned that the State party misunderstands programmes for the prevention of disability, including those in Executive Decree No. 17-187 of 3 June 2017, as being measures of implementation of the Convention, which results in discrimination against persons with disabilities. It is also concerned about the absence of a national policy to raise awareness about the human rights-based approach to disability.

19. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Take the necessary legal and other measures to transform prejudices and address stigmatization and stereotypes of persons with disabilities;

(b) Eliminate all policies that aim to legitimize the prevention of disability as measures of implementation of the Convention;

(c) In close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities, develop and adopt a national strategy to raise awareness and promote a positive image of persons with disabilities and knowledge about their rights as set out under the Convention.

Accessibility (art. 9)

20.The Committee is concerned that existing legislation on physical accessibility is not monitored and implemented due to a lack of resources. It is also concerned about the absence of legislation to facilitate access for persons with disabilities other than persons with reduced mobility to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including information and communications technology and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, in both urban and rural areas.

21. Recalling its general comment No. 2 (2014) on accessibility, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Introduce legislation and an accessibility policy to promote access for all persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including information and communications technology and systems, and other facilities and services open or provided to the public, in both urban and rural areas;

(b) Allocate the necessary resources to monitor the implementation of that legislation and policy;

(c) Be guided by article 9 of the Convention in the implementation of targets 11.2 and 11.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the requirements of persons with disabilities, and to provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for persons with disabilities.

Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)

22.The Committee is concerned at the absence of measures to respond to the specific requirements of refugees with disabilities in the context of humanitarian crises.

23. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt, according to a clear timeline, a risk and emergency strategy and ensure that disability issues are integrated into that strategy, in compliance with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.

Equal recognition before the law (art. 12)

24.The Committee is concerned that national legislation, particularly the Civil Code (arts. 40, 42, 43, 44 and 78) and the Family Code (arts. 81, 85, 86, 99 and 101–108), are inconsistent with the Convention inasmuch as they deny the legal capacity of persons with disabilities completely or partially, and provide for substituted decision-making instead of supported decision-making. It is also concerned by the lack of data, disaggregated by age, gender and disability, on persons still under guardianship.

25. The Committee recommends that the State party immediately repeal or amend discriminatory legislation, recognize the full legal capacity of all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, and introduce supported decision-making mechanisms that respect the autonomy, will and preferences of persons with disabilities in all areas of life, in accordance with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 1 (2014) on equal recognition before the law. It also recommends that the State party adopt measures to strengthen the collection of data, disaggregated by age, gender and disability, on persons still under guardianship.

Access to justice (art. 13)

26.The Committee is concerned by article 26 of Executive Decree No. 16-159 of 30 May 2016 and article 34 of Act No. 13-17, which establish certain standards of physical and psychological fitness as conditions of access to the professions of judge and lawyer. It is also concerned about existing barriers to gaining access to courts and tribunals, including physical barriers and barriers to obtaining information in accessible formats such as Braille, Easy Read and sign language. In addition, the Committee is concerned by the absence of systematic training for members of the judiciary, law practitioners and law enforcement officials on the concept of procedural and age-appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities.

27. The Committee recommends that the State party, taking into account article 13 of the Convention and target 16.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals:

(a) Repeal any laws and policies which discriminate against persons with disabilities in the legal profession;

(b) Eliminate all physical barriers that prevent access by persons with disabilities to the entire justice system on an equal basis with others;

(c) Facilitate access by persons with disabilities to information in all formats, including Easy Read, Braille, accessible digital formats and sign language;

(d) Provide systematic and ongoing training to members of the judiciary, law practitioners and law enforcement officials on the Convention and the obligation to ensure physical access and accessible legal services.

Liberty and security of the person (art. 14)

28.The Committee is concerned about the deprivation of liberty of persons with disabilities and the involuntary placement of persons with disabilities in residential care institutions on the grounds of their actual or perceived impairment. It is also concerned about the lack of procedural and age-appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities suspected of having committed a crime at all stages of the judicial process, particularly during their interrogation and detention.

29. The Committee recommends that the State party, guided by the Committee ’ s guidelines on the right to liberty and security of persons with disabilities (A/72/55, annex), repeal all legislation that allows for the deprivation of liberty on the grounds of actual or perceived impairment or that authorizes institutionalization without the free and informed consent of the person, including in cases where consent of the person is substituted by consent of a third party. It also recommends that the State party introduce legislation that provides for procedural and age-appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities suspected of having committed a crime at all stages of the judicial process, including during interrogation, prosecution, trial and detention.

Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse (art. 16)

30.The Committee is concerned about the absence of complaints in relation to cases of exploitation, violence and abuse against adults and children with disabilities, which does not necessarily mean that such cases do not occur. It is also concerned that:

(a)There is no independent mechanism to investigate and monitor cases of exploitation, violence and abuse against persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls with disabilities and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities still living in institutions;

(b)Persons with disabilities still living in institutions do not have access to independent legal aid and are not offered alternative independent living services in the community;

(c)Services for the physical and psychological recovery of survivors of exploitation, violence and abuse are not always accessible to persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls.

31. The Committee recommends that the State party increase measures to ensure the accessibility and availability of complaints mechanisms and raise awareness of them among persons with disabilities, including children. It also recommends that the State party:

(a) Establish an independent mechanism to investigate and combat exploitation and violence against persons with disabilities still living in institutions, in particular women and girls and persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities;

(b) Introduce policy measures to allow persons with disabilities still living in institutions access to independent and accessible free legal advice and counselling to assert their rights, and adopt measures to ensure the right of all persons with disabilities to independent living, support and inclusion in the community;

(c) Adopt additional measures to ensure that all services for the physical and psychological recovery of survivors of exploitation, violence and abuse, including temporary shelters, are accessible to persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls;

(d) Increase efforts to ensure the recovery, rehabilitation, reintegration, empowerment and independence of persons with disabilities who are survivors of exploitation, violence and abuse.

Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)

32.The Committee is concerned that the State party has not initiated a process of deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities and notes with concern the lack of measures taken to ensure respect for the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.

33. The Committee recommends that the State party introduce and implement policy measures to initiate the process of deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities, in close consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities, taking into account the Committee ’ s general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community.

Personal mobility (art. 20)

34.The Committee is concerned about the difficulties that persons with disabilities face in gaining access to free personal mobility equipment or purchasing affordable mobility equipment, as well as the insufficient clarity of the eligibility criteria for persons with disabilities to benefit from personal mobility aids.

35. The Committee recommends that the State party introduce the necessary measures to facilitate access by persons with disabilities to personal mobility equipment and aids that are affordable or free of charge.

Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (art. 21)

36.The Committee is concerned that there is no coherent policy to promote and protect the right of access to information in accessible formats, including Braille, accessible digital formats and Easy Read, and that Algerian sign language is not officially recognized.

37. The Committee recommends that the State party develop a coherent policy to promote and protect the right of access to information in accessible formats, including Braille, accessible digital formats, and Easy Read, and recognize Algerian sign language.

Respect for home and the family (art. 23)

38.The Committee is concerned by the lack of financial and counselling support and of community-based support for parents and families of children with disabilities and for parents with disabilities.

39. The Committee recommends that the State party provide the necessary financial and counselling support and ensure the availability of community-based support for parents and families of children with disabilities and parents with disabilities, in order to guarantee their enjoyment on an equal basis with others of their rights with respect to family life.

Education (art. 24)

40.The Committee is concerned that the education of children with disabilities falls under the purview of the Minister of National Solidarity, the Family and Women and that segregated education for children with disabilities still exists. It is also concerned that there is no policy on the right of children with disabilities to inclusive education, or strategy to transform specialized settings into inclusive education environments, including revised curricula and training.

41. The Committee recommends that the State party, guided by the Committee ’ s general comment No. 4 (2016) on the right to inclusive education:

(a) Ensure that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the education of all children, including children with disabilities;

(b) Take measures promptly to ensure that all children with disabilities have access to inclusive, high-quality and free primary and secondary education, and provide reasonable accommodation to ensure that education is available to them;

(c) Formulate, implement and monitor policy measures on the right to inclusive education, including the development of appropriate school curricula, accessible learning tools and teaching methods, in close consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities;

(d) Introduce training programmes for teachers and other educational staff on the right to inclusive education.

Health (art. 25)

42.The Committee is concerned about discrimination against persons with disabilities, which limits their access to health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health services, and in particular:

(a)The lack of capacity of health-care services, in particular for children with disabilities and in rural areas;

(b)The failure to tailor information and communications to the requirements of persons with disabilities;

(c)The insufficiency of trained health-care personnel to address the multiple barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party be guided by the Convention in its implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 3, and:

(a) Increase the availability and capacity of comprehensive community-based health-care services, in particular for children and in rural regions, to respond to the requirements of persons with disabilities;

(b) Ensure the provision of information for persons with disabilities in accessible formats, such as Braille, sign language, accessible digital formats and Easy Read, regarding available health-care services and programmes, in particular concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and child health services and psychosocial support services;

(c) Allocate sufficient resources to train medical and paramedical staff on the rights of persons with disabilities, including on free and informed consent and the right to access the health-care system on an equal basis with others.

Work and employment (art. 27)

44.The Committee is concerned about the lack of sufficient resources and qualified professionals within the national agency responsible for the implementation and monitoring of Executive Decree No. 14-214 of 30 July 2014 to facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities. It is also concerned that, despite the entry into force of article 27 (1) of Act No. 02-09 of 8 May 2002, which provides that all employers must devote at least 1 per cent of posts to persons with disabilities whose status as workers is recognized, and the possibility under an interministerial order of 4 October 2017 for employers to receive funding for the adaptation of workstations, persons with disabilities continue to be discriminated against in the employment sector.

45. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen the national agency responsible for the implementation and monitoring of Executive Decree No. 14-214 by allocating the necessary resources and equipping it with qualified personnel;

(b) Prepare a national strategy, in close consultation with organization of persons with disabilities, to increase the rate of employment of persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities;

(c) Raise awareness among employers about the interministerial order of 4 October 2017, so that they may receive the subsidies granted under the order for adapting and equipping workplaces for persons with disabilities;

(d) Adopt a strategy and action plan with benchmarks for the employment of persons with disabilities, especially women with disabilities, in the open labour market, in accordance with target 8.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)

46.The Committee is concerned that the existing social protection allocation for persons with disabilities and their families is insufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living and that persons with disabilities receiving benefits are prohibited by law from receiving income from other sources.

47. The Committee recommends that the State party be guided by article 28 of the Convention in the implementation of target 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals, and:

(a) Identify a social protection floor that covers the minimum content of the right to an adequate standard of living, on an equal basis with others;

(b) Ensure access for persons with disabilities, especially women and children with disabilities, to social protection programmes;

(c) Adopt the necessary measures so that persons with disabilities entitled to social protection allocations are also able to receive income from other sources, particularly employment, with a view to supporting their right to social inclusion and self-reliance.

Participation in political and public life (art. 29)

48.The Committee is concerned about legal restrictions, including those in Act No. 12-01 on the electoral system (art. 5), which discriminatorily and severely limit the right of persons with disabilities to vote, particularly persons subject to interdiction under articles 101 to 108 of the Family Code. It is also concerned about physical and informational barriers that deter persons with disabilities from participating in election processes and in public and political life.

49. The Committee recommends that the State party repeal all laws that restrict the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities, to ensure that persons with disabilities can exercise their right to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others. It also recommends that the State party adopt the necessary measures to eliminate all physical and informational barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating in electoral processes.

Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport (art. 30)

50.The Committee is concerned that the State party has not ratified the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. It is also concerned about insufficient measures to provide access to tourist sites, museums, art galleries, cultural centres, public parks and other public cultural facilities for all persons with disabilities and to encourage the participation of children with disabilities in recreational, leisure, sport and cultural activities on an equal basis with others.

51. The Committee recommends that the State party take all appropriate measures to ratify and implement the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, to ensure the accessibility of tourist sites, museums, art galleries, cultural centres, public parks and other public spaces for all persons with disabilities and to encourage the participation of young persons with disabilities in recreational, leisure, sport and cultural activities on an equal basis with others.

C.Specific obligations (arts. 31–33)

Statistics and data collection (art. 31)

52.The Committee is concerned about the absence of the systematic collection of data on persons with disabilities, disaggregated by disability, sex and age across all sectors, including those subjected to violence. It also regrets the long delays in conducting the national survey on disability, which has been planned since 2011.

53. Bearing in mind the links between article 31 of the Convention and target 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Adopt measures to increase the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable disaggregated data, ensuring the active participation of and close collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities in the planning and design stages of data-collection activities;

(b) Expedite the implementation of the national survey on disability, taking into consideration the Washington Group short set of questions on disability;

(c) Design and implement policies based on participatory research in line with the Committee ’ s general comment No. 7 to give effect to the Convention.

International cooperation (art. 32)

54.The Committee is concerned at the lack of mainstreaming of disability rights into national implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is also concerned that organizations of persons with disabilities are neither fully and independently consulted nor involved in the implementation of the Convention.

55. The Committee recommends that the State party mainstream disability rights into national implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and that those processes be undertaken with the close cooperation and involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities. The Committee encourages the State p arty to consider ratifying the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples ’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa , to allow for regional monitoring of the rights of persons with disabilities.

National implementation and monitoring (art. 33)

56.The Committee is concerned that:

(a)Contrary to Prime Ministerial Instruction No. 368 of 21 December 2013 on the mainstreaming of disability into sectoral programmes, focal points for disability issues have not been appointed in all ministries;

(b)The centrally appointed focal point, the Ministry of National Solidarity, the Family and Women, lacks the capacity to carry out its role effectively;

(c)The National Human Rights Council does not fully comply with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights (the Paris Principles);

(d)Pending the review of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, there are no specific mechanisms for the participation of organizations of persons with disabilities in the monitoring of the Convention.

57. The Committee, recalling the guidelines on independent monitoring frameworks and their participation in the work of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD/C/1/Rev.1, annex), recommends that the State party:

(a) Expedite the implementation of Prime Ministerial Instruction No. 368 of 21 December 2013 and designate focal points in all ministries to mainstream disability issues into all policies and programmes;

(b) Take all necessary measures to ensure that the National Human Rights Council can effectively and independently discharge its mandate in full compliance with the Paris Principles;

(c) Facilitate the effective and meaningful participation of organizations of persons with disabilities in the entire process of monitoring the implementation of the Convention, including in a revised National Council for Persons with Disabilities, consistent with the Convention;

(d) Ensure that the monitoring frameworks are independent of advisory bodies and the focal points appointed under article 33 (1) of the Convention.

IV.Follow-up

Dissemination of information

58. The Committee emphasizes the importance of all the recommendations contained in the present concluding recommendations. With regard to the urgent measures that must be taken, and the Committee would like to draw the State party ’ s attention to the recommendations contained in paragraph 57, on national implementation and monitoring.

59. The Committee requests the State party to implement the recommendations contained in the present concluding observations. It recommends that the State party transmit the concluding observations for consideration and action to members of the Government and Parliament, officials in relevant ministries, local authorities and members of relevant professional groups, such as education, medical and legal professionals, as well as to the media, using modern social communication strategies.

60. The Committee strongly encourages the State party to involve civil society organizations, in particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in the preparation of its periodic report.

61. The Committee requests the State party to disseminate the present concluding observations widely, including to non-governmental organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities, and to persons with disabilities themselves and members of their families, in national and minority languages, including sign language, and in accessible formats, including Easy Read, and to make them available on the government website on human rights.

Next periodic report

62. The Committee requests the State party to submit its combined second, third and fourth periodic reports by 4 January 2024 and to include in them information on the implementation of the recommendations made in the present concluding observations. The Committee also requests the State party to consider submitting the above-mentioned reports under the Committee ’ s simplified reporting procedure, according to which the Committee prepares a list of issues at least one year prior to the due date set for the report of a State party. The replies of a State party to such a list of issues constitute its report.